Covid border checks are sensible – but the government cannot fall back into constant U-turns
One of the promises of Rishi Sunak’s government was that it would hold itself to a higher standard of integrity than that of Boris Johnson. Another was that it would understand the rules of arithmetic better than that of Liz Truss. A third was that it would be more competent than either.
This third appears to include making faster U-turns. One moment the government had no plans to require coronavirus tests for arrivals from China; the next, it not only had plans but had announced that all travellers from China to the UK would be required to take a pre-departure test.
This is more efficient government of a kind. Switching from the wrong position to the right one is better than persisting in an error, and the more quickly it is done, the better. That said, the way the policy has been reversed may needlessly alarm people and divert attention from other public health issues.
